Posted 4 years ago on March 25, 2013, 5:32 a.m. EST by factsrfun
(8752)
from Phoenix, AZ
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

Long term I think almost certainly direct conversion of solar energy into useful energy will be vital to continued technology. Here are three stories all about a recent development in crystal fibers that will allows us to exceed what had thought to be a theoretical limit, that’s a pretty big deal.

104 Comments

Sitting here watching people on the TV talking about who is getting over on who. Will Wayne Lapierre or Micheal Bloomberg win the day? Meanwhile real people are doing real work on real problems, but are never heard about. Maybe if we reported at least as much on their successes as we do the American Idol victories/defeats we might see more progress. I don't know for sure, but maybe.

The potential breaching of a theoretical limit by a real device is always exciting, especially so if the device is for such an important area as electricity generation from a nearly inexhaustible supply of sunlight. A few percentage points may seem small but it will open up virgin territories of applications (such as mobile applications) and give fossil fuels a run for the money.

The GaAs used is disturbing because of the very carcinogenic arsenic but there are other direct-bandgap materials that have no arsenic. Can gallium nitride achieve the same feat? Since nanowires are used and they are really really small so the amount of arsenic can be very small, too. There have already been precedent set before for toxic material such as cadmium being widely used in thin-film solar panels on the side of Autobahns, in NiCad (NiCd) rechargeable batteries, and in red coloring for plastics and paints.

Toxicity of the byproducts has been an issue for solar panels, as it is with other electronics as well, I spent a good deal of time working around dangerous stuff, it can be contained the biggest obstacle is the profit motive of the management more so than the technical problems. Money is a good thing but even a good thing can be over indulged in, we must have ways to reduce the power of money in our society in order to maintain sane control over a number of things we have created. I believe that is the challenge of humanity itself in order for us to move into the "next phase" we must find balance between "freedom" and "restraint".

Money was a great invention but it was elevated destructively to a god by unfettered Capitalism, especially by short-term-bonus-driven management (such as the typical moronic young turks fresh out of business school with an M.B.A. and those so far removed from the actual production that they live in their own incestuous fantasy bubbles of quarterly profit-and-loss statements, board meetings, and intrigues of ownership fights).

Nuclear power, for example, if properly managed, can advance the standard of living of vast number of people worldwide but our experience with it showed that we had failed as a society, as an organization, as a company, as a manager, etc. to control nuclear power's consequences. Do you really think that TEPCO did not know about the tsunami high-tide stone-slab markers left by their Japanese ancestors at Fukushima? Who does not know that Japan is earthquake-prone considering their sacred national symbol Mount Fuji has the ominous cone shape of a volcano? Do we need a bigger marker than that from Mother Nature to 'get it'?

All energy production methods have some undesirable consequences so we must understand and manage them the best that we can while achieving our very humanist goal of serving the peoples of the world.

It is the motives of the people in charge that become the driving force for the problems. Nuclear power would be very safe if the industry would adapt the recommendations that came out of the commission that studied the TMI incident, most were but not the most important one, the one that would have reduced the power of management. As a result of that decision small mistakes, like the one that led to TMI happen almost everyday in a nuclear plant in America, but because of industry policy we never hear about them. I have read many papers stamped "Do Not Copy", and everyone who reads those papers has had a security clearance to protect at one time or another.

That is the crux of the problem in general. Whoever in charge tends to love foot-dragging and cover-ups. Transparency promised before they came to power can go out of the window once they grasp the power firmly. Anything going wrong gets a knee-jerk reaction of not reporting it to make them look good until things truly get out of control. This is especially bad in any hierarchical organizations where the higher-ups would not listen and would rather happily check off their lists.

it's said the love of money is the root of all evil, as the money gets bigger the choices get harder, we could do something about the money getting so big, if we had the guts, we see this over and over Penn St. had a 50 million dollar a year program to protect, who knows how large the Catholic Church has at stake, these nuclear plant owners have billions on the line in each of these cases the people vested with decision making power sand to make millions for themselves, the Church may figure that a little different but check out the ex-Pope's place.

There are existing ways to alleviate the problem such as:
1) appeal review boards staffed not only by higher-ups but also by the lower-downs
2) conscientious regulations that are enforced
3) creating a culture of obedience of reasonable laws
4) transparency through freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and sunshine laws.
5) disciplining by using social shame

Much of what you suggest involves embracing truth, I find many people reluctant to do that for many different reasons, which mostly boils down to their desire to have a certain outcome which total truth may not help achieve. This turning our collective backs on what is causes many problems.

Not even Republicans want more nuclear power, with the advances in solar I don't know if it is the stepping stone we once thought. Of course if the operators at TMI had understood their theory and not uncovered their core who knows maybe we would still have ice at the North Pole. All water under the bridge now,might as well ask what would have happened if Gore had gotten more support.

Just curious - how many people on this site have solar panels providing power for them?

I read a lot on this of people who come up with ideas about what they think needs to be done, post the subject matter, but I will be willing to bet not one of those persons have been "physically involved" in doing it.

Am I wrong about this if so - let me hear from you.

The internet is a great source for providing information - reading instead of doing only provides the "basic" knowledge.

Talking about a subject based upon what someone reads does not give that person credibility - it may sound good to others, but until they can claim to have actually been involved in doing it, it is only "talking points". I guess it makes them feel good to do this

I have seen this time and time again. A person will post on a subject matter claiming that this is the best way to go. But when it comes down to that person actually being involved directly with or doing what they think needs to be done, they aren't or never have - just like this subject matter.

The post is great - makes great sound bites - but where does it go from here? Probably nowhere.

I have read many posts on this site requesting detailed information about subjects and the only responses that were given were referenced web sites.

So what does that say - it says that the vast majority of people who post on this site have no real experience with what they are talking about. All they know is what they read nothing more nothing less.

The question should be how much energy are you consuming. You can guzzle energy and have a huge and costly solar array, or you can sip energy by investing in energy efficient lights, refrigerators, Etc. and remain connected to the grid.

It's more important to concentrate on overall consumption, not just electricity, but everything you buy, measured in dollars. That's the best measure of one's impact on the earth.

Conservation is the best because it can often achieve 100% efficiency and sometimes even exceed that but it requires knowledge, forethought, and action or inaction. Efficiency improvement is next because they can pay off for a long time through capital equipment investments. Additional energy generation through costly solar arrays loses when compared to conservation and efficiency improvements.

A number of OWS supporters are debt-strapped so costly solar arrays are just pie-in-the-sky so you should not be surprised at all that they do not have solar power from them. If they happen to fall into money, they should probably pay off those usurious credit card balances first to spite the culprits and improve their own prospects.

It is not in dollars that we should measure our impact on the Earth although it is a first approximation. We should really measure it in myriad ways subject to our own aesthetic ideals and values.

I am here to create talking points to offset the affect of the talking points that the right wingers have paid millions though the years to create. The establishment of a mindset is actually doing something, writing is real work, so is thinking. I don't come to the site to write my diary.

I once ran nuclear power plant for a living we had reporters come in and write stories all the time, they didn't know anything about splitting an atom, but they still wrote their stories, I guess there's just no keeping fools from writing, I mean look at your comment you wrote that.

It appears that way for several reasons. One, its true, but that's not a proper generalization to run with. Two, a significant percentage of posters here are fake, working to create an environment that is consistent with the image of ows. Three, renewable energy requires money and our economy has been destroyed or at least out of the control of the consuming democracy for quite a bit longer than we can really determine.

Basically at this late date, with an infiltrated government, it is up to our ability to create groups and live together while pooling funds to purchase significant amounts of cutting edge energy technology, and live with it as long as possible. However, because of media, the abridging of free speech, our ability to communicate, agree and unify in action is all but non existent unless some 1% w/friends pretends to give a crap and finance a fake movement.

However, any American that understands those words could name themselves an exception and start a dialogue that supersedes the dysfunction with valid strategy for recovering a workable REAL economy.

Hey DK do you know if there has ever been a forum with comment/reply but with only a "like" and no "stinkle" for the comments? I think we would rid ourselves of many of the posters that are just here to censor and flame if we kept the twinkle and dumped the stinkle, (and remove it's affects from the beginning)

Girl Friday said she had been on one I've never seen one and she won't share the link, I wish they at least gave a comment count so you could see how active someone is on the site, I do think it would make a difference and it hasn't been tried, I see benefits.

"Al Gore has done as much to inform people about the dangers of climate change than any other human being."

Actually, he's a politician who is a slob when it comes to energy usage, and helped ship all our factories to places with zero environmental regulations. He's a puppet.

The real work is done in the scientific community. Gore is a joke. And a MASSIVE hypocrite. If you cant see that, then you are hopeless. A movie and a few books doesnt erase his history. Stop being so blind and dumb.

It was you and facts that brought him up first if you follow the threads, ya dumb hick. When you are finally ready to stop slobbering at the door steps of people who created this horrendous planet let me know.

See the link to the chart for the results of trade with Mexico. The year NAFTA was ratified, America had a $1 billion trade surplus with Mexico. By 1995, America had a $16 billion trade deficit with Mexico. Today, America's trade deficit with Mexico is $74 billion. The facts in the chart make President Clinton, Vice President Gore and all the newspaper editors who wrote editorials supporting NAFTA look like complete idiots or worse. Ross Perot was absolutely right even though he was not effective in the debate. Again, no matter what your views are on NAFTA, the chart (link below) speaks for itself.

And yes, I support solar power. Every house in this country could be solar powered with the amount of money they have been giving the banks the last 5 years, five years straight of bailouts. Its a damn shame.

But nothing will change until people stop being fooled by these idiotic politicians.

I know my history and I know Al Gore is not responsible for the outsourcing you are slandering him with.

You are confused. Trying to deflect ,and distract from the fact that no other politician has done more to support solar, wind, and all alternative energy, is just a weak attempt to withhold support for greentech.

And your solar positions is diluted by the distraction that we have destructive bail out policies.

I'm afraid we must fight against bankster bail outs AND support for investments in renewable energy.

Change WILL come even with some people still being fooled. Waiting until that is just a poor excuse for inaction.